Productive meetings can happen if handled properly! Phil Cooke shares tips on how to conduct effective meetings and how to use meetings to your advantage. Bonus tips: How to attend other people’s meetings and advance your career to the next level. (If you’ve got an upcoming meeting at a Hollywood studio, a church, or with a client, watch for these extra pointers!)   Subscribe to My Podcast for more good advice for leaders and creatives: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/phil-cooke-podcast/id1439369056   Prefer video? Watch the YouTube edition here:https://youtu.be/r9_VTnENsi8   Do you have a message or story the world needs to hear? As a Hollywood producer and media consultant, I offer advice for leaders and creatives each week on filmmaking, digital media, publishing, strategy, communication, leadership, culture and faith – to help you get from where you are to where you want to be in your career.   More about this episode: My Rules for Attending Meetings I hate meetings. I really do. So if I have to attend a meeting, I want it to be productive. Here’s a list of things I want my Cooke Media Group team to know during a meeting, and the list might be worth sharing with your team as well:   Print an agendaso people know where this meeting is going. Be direct and intentional and you will accomplish something.   1) Learn to listen.  Nothing is more important in a meeting than simply listening. Too many people in meetings aren’t really listening, they’re just thinking of the next thing to say.   2) Write down initial ideas.  Never blurt out that brilliant revelation you just received. Jot it down first, and then see when it would be appropriate to interject into the conversation.   3) Value the time in meetings. Don’t tell us about your life story, the dream project you’re working on, or some new insight you recently read about.  Honor the people in the room and focus on the task at hand.   4) Do your homework.  Nothing is more embarrassing than tossing out an idea that’s already been tried or already failed. Learn about the client or project before walking in the room. Make sure that what you contribute is something new and worth their time. Never walk into a meeting blind.   5) Stop interrupting people.Nothing anyone has to say is so important that it’s worth interrupting. Just bide your time and speak when it’s appropriate.   6) Never dominate a meeting.  Keep your comments short and to the point. As you talk, watch the reactions of other people in the room. Are they listening? Are they interested? Or have they tuned you out? Cut to the chase.   Always have a hard “out.” Let your people know what time the meeting will end. Trust me – they will appreciate it.   Bonus tips! How to behave when attending other people’s meetings: -Step back.Don’t contribute in the same way you would if it were your meeting.   -Don’t be quick to give ideas.They may have been working on this project for years. Listen first.   -Practice discernment.Speaking too soon may be a recipe for disaster. Learn and hear from their perspectives.   -Make notes.Write down things you think are great ideas. Look for an opportunity to share later.   Any good advice for meeting behavior I’ve left out?   Schedule: New episodes are uploaded every other Tuesday. Make sure to Subscribe and hit the Notification bell to be notified when they go live.   Other Great Resources: Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel if you haven’t already at https://www.youtube.com/c/philcookeofficial?sub_confirmation=1   Get my “Unique: The Ultimate Planner for Creative Professionals” https://amzn.to/2M2ixNo (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps support my channel and allows us to continue making videos like this. Thank you for the support!)   Sign up for my blog and get a free eBook on creativity at https://www.philcooke.com Get more tips for meetings here:  https://www.philcooke.com/how-to-behave-in-other-peoples-meetings/ https://www.philcooke.com